Reuben h



R. H. P LASS.

VELOGIPEDB.

No. 88,205. Pate nted Mar. 23, 1869.

REUBEN H. PLA'ss, or NEW YORK. N'. Y. Letters Patent No. 88,205, dated March 23, 1869.

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- -0--- The Schedule referred to in Letters Patent and making of the same.

l b all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I,'Rnnnnn H. Pnnss, of the city,

county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Velocipedes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a fnll,'clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the apcompanyingdrawing, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents, in elevation, a two-wheeled velocipede, showing one mode of applying my improved steering-apparatus;

Figure 2 shows another mode of operating the same;

Figure 3 is a top, or plan view of the machine, as

Figure 4 is a top, or plan view of 5 machine, operating, in some essentials, like that represented in fig. 1, but with the steering-apparatus gearing with the rear wheel only;

Figure 5-represents the same asfig. 4, in elevation} the line of the axle of the driving-wheel in fig. 7; and

- Figure 9 is a modification of fig 7.

The same parts are-indicated by corresponding letters in the several figures.

This invention consists First, in a novel method of gearing" and operating the steering-apparatus, whether applied to either one, or both, or to any number of wheels fore and aft. Second, in a novel method of operating the drivingwheel to'increase velocity, and, at the same time, reduce the excessive exercise consequent on the rapid up-and-down motion of the feet.

Third, in the fast or loose attachment of the gears with the bifurcated axle-supports of the wheel, so that either or both wheels may be affected by the steeringpower, as desired. That the construclion and operation of my improve-' ments may be better understood, I willidescribe them with reference to the drawing, in which A- represents the fore wheel, and B, the rear wheel of the velocipede, which are supported on axles, passing through bifurcated brackets, O 0', connected, at their upper end, with an extension-bar, D, from one to .the other, through which they have a pivotal motion laterally,'and are' provided, at their upper ends, with bevel or spur-wheels, E E',, or other mechanical equivalents, such as friction-gear, universal joints, inclined planes, or-the like, through which they gear with, or are connected to, an oscillating bar, F, parallel with the coupling-bar D, or thereabouts.

To this bar F is attached the saddle, or seat G, so

that, by the rocking or lunging position of the body on the seat, motion is communicated, by means of the connections before described,'to axles of the wheels, to steer the vehicle, and, at the same time, the centre of gravity of the-wider is retained in a direct line over and betweenthe axles of the two wheels, as represented more clearly in fig. 3.

In fig. l, the machine is'represented as constructed to be steered solely by the motion of the body, through the oscillating saddle.

In fig. 2, the saddle is rigidly attached to the couplingbar D, and the pivoted end of the bifurcated axlesupport, 0, of the forward wheel, is provided with a detachable handle, or key, H, by which the steering maybe performed by hand. This arrangement is more particularly designed for beginners, as a support for the hands; or, the key 11 may be applied to the front wheel of the machine, represented in-fig. 1, and used to steer by hand, in combination with the motion of the body, as beforedes -ribed.

In figs. 4 and 5, my method of sifeering'by gravity is represented as applied only to the rear wheel B, and in figs. 6, 7,. and 8,- asapplied only to the front wheel, which is deemed to be preferable.

In order to increase the velocity of travel, and, at the same time, to reduce the rapid up-and-down motion of the feet, I arrange rollers, I, on either side, above the axle J of the driving-wheel A, and inter mediately between the two, I and J, other rollers, K,

all in contact, so that, by communicating motion to.

the rollers I, by 'the feet operating on cranks L, on

either side, a more rapid motion is given to the axle. if the powcrwere applied di-Q;

J than it would have rectl y to it.

I propose to construct this friction driving motion of rollers, which may be bound on their peripheries with rubber, leather, or other adhesive or adherent substance, and they may be home or pressed in contact by set-screws M, or by arranging the upper rollers in slots, and providing them with a downward spring-bearing; or the same result may be produced bya similar arrangement of a small grooved pulley, on the axle of the wheel, and aboveitalargergroov pulley, p, with a cord, ban'd,-or chain, to communicate-- motion from one to the other. In this arrangement, the pulhey p, or the axle, should be ,supported"in"a sliding box, and the cord be kept at a suitable tension, by a spring between the axles of said pulleys, or by an adjusti1 1g-screw,-to force them apart.

I am aware that gear-wheels have been used for the same purpose, but there are many objections to them in practice. These, therefore, I do not claim. The gear-wheels E E,-on-the upper ends of the bifurcated axle-supports, are connected therewith in such manner that they may be caused to rotate togetherwhen the power is applied, or that eitherone may be allowed tomove freely around the vertical axis of said supports, which may be efi'ected by inserting pins, 0', transversely through them, 'or by any suitable clamp, or clutch-device. Having thus described my invention, 1 What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- v "1. The laterally-oscillating seat, or saddle, in combination with suitable gearing, whereby the rocking or lunging of the body is made torlteer the vehicle, substantially as set forth.

' 2. The arrangement and combination of the drivingrollers I and friction-rollers K, with the axle J of the dliving-'\vheel, or rollers thereon, substantially as shown and described.

3. So connecting the gear-wheels E E with the bi furcated axle-supports, that the steering-power may be applied to either one or both of said'axles at pleasure, substantially as specified.

v REUBEN H. PLASS. Witnesses W. Momns SMITH, SYDNEY E. SMITH. 

